After approving key reforms for coal and insurance sectors recently through ordinance route, the cabinet has opted the same route and approved promulgating an ordinance to auction iron ore and other mineral mines. The ordinance would pave the way for introduction of competitive bidding for allocation of iron ore and other non-coal mines and will also enable creating District Mineral Funds for the welfare of the project-affected people. Further, the ordinance would also enable greater decentralisation of power to states for allocation of resources and also focuses on attracting private investments and latest technology and eliminating delays in administration.
The Bill will also empower the government to prescribe different terms and conditions for auctions for different types of minerals and their application to different states. It also proposed higher prison term and hefty penalty of Rs 5 lakh, 20 times higher than the fine prescribed in the existing ACT for violating terms of mineral excavations.
The move to take the ordinance came as Mines Ministry could not table a Bill in the Winter session of Parliament to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. However, the government wants to allocate mines as mining sector is one of the chosen segments for the ‘Make in India’ programme.
However, Industry body Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) has been opposing the auction route, underscoring that auction route cannot pursued in any resource-rich country as it may result in cartelization and monopolistic practices. It may also lead to selective mining while leaving low grade minerals in the ground, wastage of resources and inflate the cost of final product making it uncompetitive vis-a-vis imports.
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